


Traitor | A Naruto Fiction

by kitsunekurama



Category: Naruto
Genre: Akiyama Yukiko, Anti-Hero, BADASS FEMALE OC AT THAT, Betrayal, Female Anti-Hero, Gen, Infiltration, Mind Control, POV Antagonist, did you ever think of that, double agent, female oc - Freeform, idek what yukiko is shes just a really cool character i guess, maybe she doesnt like labels huh?
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-16
Updated: 2017-11-07
Packaged: 2018-12-30 10:31:14
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 14,656
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12106791
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kitsunekurama/pseuds/kitsunekurama
Summary: "Is there... someone precious to you?"Is there someone you would betray everyone and everything for?For Yukiko Akiyama, she would do anything for her master without question.So when the legendary sannin Orochimaru discovers that the Uchiha clan is not entirely extinct, he sends his favourite underling to retrieve the renown Sharingan for him.Will Yukiko be able to remain undiscovered as a traitor amongst her Leaf 'comrades', or will her true nature be exposed?





	1. 1 | Infiltration

**Author's Note:**

  * For [sand_ninja](https://archiveofourown.org/users/sand_ninja/gifts).



**A k i y a m a  Y u k i k o**

                _I mustn’t move. I mustn’t make a sound,_ I repeat in my head, biting my lip roughly. The soft leather straps caress my limbs, pressing my shivering frame against the cold bench gently.

_Breathe. I mustn’t move. I am strong. Do not give in._ I arch my back slightly as the chilling feeling of foreign liquid entering my bloodstream slowly overtakes my body, originating from my inner left elbow. Exhaling slowly, I half-heartedly pull against my restraints. Not because I want to escape - just because the familiar feeling of leather rubbing against my raw skin provides me with some sort of twisted comfort.

A slight movement to my left makes my closed eyes twitch. He’s so quiet that sometimes I forget he’s even there. As if on cue, the unmistakable sound of metal against metal cuts through the air, overpowering the gentle hum of the earth walls around me.

                “Remarkable,” his familiar voice echoes, “You are quite the specimen aren’t you, Akiyama-san. Such strength - and so young too.  Orochimaru-sama must be so…proud.”

                My face twists into an involuntary smirk despite my shaking hands. I can’t help but feel amused at the underlying tone of jealousy in the man’s voice.

“Don’t feel too bad _old man_ , not everyone can be Orochimaru-sama’s favourite.  It must be hard for those such as yourself to gain his approval. That’s why you’re trying so hard to… _perfect_ me isn’t it, Yakushi-san?”

                A sharp hiss of air from Kabuto’s mouth lets me know I hit the mark, and I can’t help the feeling of satisfaction grow inside me as the sharpening sounds of the scalpel become more intense with anger.

                “I’m not _old_! I’m only 19. Just because my hair is grey….” he snarls. I laugh cruelly at Kabuto’s indignation. Getting under his skin is always so entertaining.

My smirk abruptly transforms into a grimace as the scalpel kisses the skin of my stomach, retracing the scars of previous experiments. It doesn’t hurt, not really. I guess I’m used to it after all these years, after all I have been Orochimaru-sama’s test subject for as long as I care to remember.  As Kabuto finishes his little _project,_ boredom settles within me. Looking for some kind of distraction, I focus my attention to the quiet patter of droplets of water falling from the damp ceiling. The soft pattern oddly relaxes me, and soon I can feel myself being lulled into darkness by the quiet lullaby. I submit, knowing that when I regain consciousness again I will be even stronger than I was before.

 

`~`

My eyes flutter open to be greeted with the shadowed ceiling of my room. _Kabuto must have moved me after I fell asleep,_ I think while exhaling lightly and settling down. My fingers subconsciously dart to my stomach, where they trace my fresh stitches amongst my now hardly visible scars. My life has always been like this, ever since I was taken in by Orochimaru-sama as a child.   _Orochimaru-sama._ My eyes snap open. _I can feel him summoning me._ Immediately I slip out from under the covers of my futon, relieved to see that I am still in my training clothes. The thought of that old man Kabuto changing me makes me physically shudder.

With a newfound sense of urgency, I disappear in a puff of smoke, reappearing in a large, barely-lit cavern. The scale-like pattern on the walls seem to writhe under the flickering light of a single candle, creating the illusion that the walls are covered with live snakes.  Sensing the presence of a shadowy-figure in the centre of the room, I kneel without hesitation.

“You summoned me, Orochimaru-sama?” I softly call.

“Ah, my lovely Yukiko-chan. Your perceptive ability is impeccable as always.”

Keeping my head bowed, I slightly flick my eyes upwards to see Orochimaru-sama approaching me.  

“I have a mission for you. It is…unlike anything I have issued you with before.”

Unlike anything I have done before? This surprises me. After all, Orochimaru-sama has sent me on countless missions, and I have executed unimaginable deeds for him. What could he possibly want me to do that I haven’t already done? Unable to take the curiosity, I bob my head up to meet his eyes, a questioning look on my face. A scaly grin appears on his face, as he slowly licks his lips with his tongue.

“I assume you remember my teachings to you of the power of the Sharingan?” Orochimaru-sama’s voice hisses. Here I nod my head to indicate for him to continue, still not too sure where this is going. Of course I remember, I spent countless hours researching the unique optical ability of the Uchiha clan as he had commanded me to.

“Well,” he carries on, “I have been informed that despite what we thought, Itachi-kun is in fact _not_ the last Uchiha.”

_What?_ How is that possible?

“But…My Lord, it is common fact that Uchiha Itachi assassinated his entire clan six years ago, there should be no survivors!”

 Orochimaru-sama chuckles evilly at the look of confusion that must be on my face.

“Yes, that is what we all thought. However, it appears that Itachi-kun was not as ruthless as we imagined. After all, it’s his younger brother that remains alive to this day – sheltered in the leaf village.”

My dark eyes glint greedily at this information. So there is another Sharingan ripe for the taking? Perfect. I glance up at Orochimaru-sama with a smirk on my face.

“My Lord,” I begin, “Then I assume you wish for me to infiltrate Konohagakure? After all, Itachi’s younger brother must be around my age by now. It would only be too easy to _persuade_ him to seek you out,” I can already feel the excitement building up inside of me at the prospect of being the one to direct the young Uchiha into my master’s arms.

Orochimaru-sama cackles loudly. “Correct. Come now my dear Yukiko-chan, we must set out at once. There is no time to waste.”

Nodding, I stand up and brush the dirt off of my knees. Simultaneously, we bite into our thumbs and begin weaving hand signs at the speed of lightning. Boar. Dog. Bird. Monkey. Ram.

“SUMMONING JUTSU.”

In a cloud of smoke, two large snakes appear. Without hesitation, they each snap myself and Orochimaru-sama in their jaws before disappearing into the ground. I settle down comfortably in the mouth of my summoning snake, Hakuryuu as he travels through the earth towards the Land of Fire. Although I’m not particularly fond of the leaf village after a run-in with some of their shinobi a while back, I can’t help the feeling of anticipation that wells up inside me. It’s been a while since I last left the hideout, and I’m just itching to prove to my master that I deserve the title as his favourite apprentice.

After what feels like forever, Hakuryuu begins to travel towards the surface, pulling me out of my reverie. _We must be nearing the leaf village_ , I think wryly. With a final burst of speed, Hakuryuu bursts through the ground in the cover of the forests surrounding the leaf village. Taking my chance before he reverse-summons, I slip out of Hakuryuu’s now open mouth and immediately hide behind a tree next to a waiting Orochimaru-sama.

“As always, your speed is astonishing, My Lord.” I say just loud enough for my master to hear me, “Not many can beat my Hakuryuu, yet you manage to do so every time.”

Orochimaru-sama merely smiles back smugly at me. As always, my master proves to be a truly powerful man. Bringing our focus back to the situation at hand, we both turn our heads to peer at the red gates of the hidden leaf village only a short distance away. So this is where the Sharingan has been hiding all this time…just behind those walls…

Closing my eyes, I attempt to sense the levels of protection that the village is under. The immense barrier jutsu surrounding the village becomes visible to me immediately, but I also manage to trace the two chakra signatures standing guard by the gates – chunins, if their level of chakra is anything to go by. Pitiful. Is this the greatest defence Konohogakure has to offer? At this rate it will be only too easy to break in.

“You can’t do this how you normally would, Yukiko-chan,” Orochimaru-sama advises, “You want an audience with the Hokage, not the interrogation unit.”

I sweatdrop, realising he is right. My circumstances are most definitely different this time around. When I have infiltrated villages in the past, it was always to enter the village undetected and gather information as quickly as possible. However, the whole point of me being here is to win the Uchiha’s trust, and I couldn’t do that by staying out of sight in the shadows.  I wouldn’t be able to just slip past the guards like I usually would.

The only way I would be able to get in is if I was either a shinobi from an Allied Nation delivering a message to the Hokage, or...in a life or death situation….they would have no choice...

That’s it!

Turning to Orochimaru-sama I can tell he has also come to the same conclusion by the glint in his eyes. Now, although I am not particularly fond of getting beaten up, I resign to the fact that there is no other way to go about this.

“I’ll try not to make it hurt….. _much_ ,” Orochimaru-sama chuckles sadistically.

_Just get onto it already,_ I sigh exasperatedly in my mind. Spreading my arms out wide, I brace myself for the incoming impact.

In the blink of an eye I suddenly find myself no longer standing upright, but in a heap on the ground with my cheek pressed against the earth. I can already feel the wind knocked out of me from that punch. After being assaulted with a volley of multiple other attacks, I raise my hand shakily, signalling to my master that I have been sufficiently injured. No need to go overboard now, or I might need medical attention for real.

“Prove to me that I was right to entrust this mission to you, Yukiko-chan. Do not disappoint me.”

Through my blurred eyesight, I can faintly make out Orochimaru-sama retreating into the forest. _Don’t worry My Lord,_ I think determinedly, _I will bring you the Sharingan even if it kills me._

Facing the gates of Konoha, I somehow manage to rise unsteadily to my feet. My legs shake under the weight of my body, spots blocking my vision. Dragging myself out into the open, I shakily struggle towards the guards who seem to have only just noticed me. Typical.

The two chunin pull out their kunais just as I collapse to the ground in exhaustion. Feigning unconsciousness, I can’t help but smirk internally as the shinobi with the bandages across his face flashes towards me and tries to feel my pulse. I have always been good at acting, probably one of the reasons Orochimaru-sama selected me for this mission.

“Quick. We need to take her to the hospital, she won’t survive much longer out here,” the bandaged shinobi informs his partner as he lifts me up in his arms.

Heh. _Infiltration success._

_`~`_


	2. Interrogation

A k i y a m a  Y u k i k o

Despite what most believe, the key to winning wars and battles is not physical strength nor brawn. It is instead, information and intelligence. Even the weakest opponent can take on someone twice their size, as long as they can keep their wits about them and use the information they gather to their advantage.

I suppose that’s why Orochimaru-sama has a particular liking towards Kabuto and I.

Although neither of us display enormous strength - unlike many of his other test subjects - Kabuto and I have the talent for uncovering valuable information about a person just by conversing with them.

 _Or by eavesdropping,_ I think, as I peer down at the two jonin ninja leaning against an oak tree outside of my hospital window. Perhaps these loud-mouthed idiots could be of some use to me.

Tentatively, I stretch out a few muscles and am hardly surprised to discover that my injuries from Orochimaru-sama are all but gone _. Konoha must have some very adept medical ninja if they were able to treat such heavy wounds in the space of one night,_ I take note, though I don’t fuss over it for long, knowing that my own _abilities_ would have considerably sped up the healing process. Concentrating a small amount of chakra into the bare soles of my feet, in one fluid motion I silently leap from my hospital bed to my windowsill.

“I just can’t believe the groupings of the genin teams this year, what were they thinking?” The voice of one of the jonin groans before he continues to mutter inaudibly to his partner. I lean forward slightly, straining to hear what he says. When he continues to talk in a hushed tone, I have no choice but to quietly drop onto the tiled roofing and stalk closer to the oak tree in an effort to get within hearing range.

“…I mean how is that fair?” the jonin continues, “My whole team is a bunch of average kids with no real talent. Why does that arrogant bastard Kakashi get Uchiha Sasuke? He will probably fail his entire team like he always does! If Sasuke was on my team, I would definitely not let his unique talents go to waste by sending him back to the academy.”

My ears perk slightly at this. So his name is Sasuke... and his sensei is someone called Kakashi? Perfect.

“Yeah well, he may have the last Uchiha, but I don’t envy him for having that Nine-Tailed brat on his team. Can you imagine having to train that nightmare?” The sneering voice of the other jonin - a kunoichi, snakes its way towards me. Did she say Nine-Tails?   _Heh. So my master’s little Uchiha is also friendly with a Jinchuuriki? How….interesting._ With this new information buzzing in my head, I silently dart away from my hiding place and back through my hospital window. A lazy grin spreads across my face as I can hear the indistinct voices of the jonin continuing to talk in a leisurely tone, completely unaware of my presence. Honestly, you would think the jonin of this village would be a _little_ less careless about speaking of top-secret information in such a public place.

No sooner after I slipped back under the stiff covers of my bed, did the door to my room swing open to reveal a nurse busy writing on her clipboard. My eyes travel from her downturned head to the tall, imposing figure standing behind her. As his face comes into the light, I narrow my eyes at the two long scars that travel down his features and into his collar. The man takes a step closer to me, causing me to flinch and shrink back into my sheets. Time to play up the timid act.

“My name is Morino Ibiki.” He states in a gruff voice, “I am sure you know why I am here?”

Well that’s obvious. Orochimaru-sama has told me about Konoha’s commander of Torture and Interrogation. He looks just as my master had described – in other words _ugly and old_. I must admit though, I am surprised he has come to see me in person. I predicted being interrogated, however I don’t think I look like enough of a threat to require the Commander to personally see to me. My cautious nature kicking in, I choose to continue my façade. I look up at Ibiki with big and watery eyes. I’d like to see him get past this.

“M-Morino-san?” I ask in a small, shaky voice “Where am I? W-what do you want with me? What have you done with my okaa-san and otou-san?”

Ibiki’s brow creases ever so slightly, however his face remains impassive. Hmm. We have a tough nut do we? Well, I suppose I expected no less.

“You are in Konohagakure’s hospital. You were transported here after being found alone in a state of unconsciousness outside the village walls. Due to safety reasons, before you are discharged we must bring you in for interrogation. I’m sure you understand that we can’t have unknown people wandering through our village.”

Ibiki glances to the nurse standing by his side. She curtly nods, allowing Ibiki to gently grab my arm and helps me step out of the bed. “What’s your name?” He asks as he leads me out of the room.

I narrow my eyes ever so slightly. I know what game he’s playing, I have used the exact same tactics countless times myself. Start with simple questions in a friendly manner, slowly progressing to the questions you really want answered, while maintaining the light-hearted vibe. I suppose I have to play along a little, but I need to be careful not to dance to Ibiki’s tune - otherwise my whole mission will be over before it has even begun.

“Yukiko,” I finally say after a long pause. Ibiki raises an eyebrow. “Do you have a surname, Yukiko?”

I slowly nod, not really wanting to divulge that information. Casting my eyes downwards, I start to play with the hem of my shirt while we walk, knowing Ibiki will pick up on my timid indicators and create a false profile of my character and personality.

“And what would it be?”

I grit my teeth before slowly replying, “….Akiyama. Akiyama Yukiko.” There is no point in lying. If I am to stay here and gain Sasuke’s trust, then they will need to know my real name.

As my name leaves my lips, Ibiki stops and looks at me suspiciously.

“The Akiyama clan is well-known in Kirigakure for their skills as shinobi. Does that mean…?”

“Yes M-Morino-san, we are a shinobi clan….and I am a genin - I’m only twelve afterall. However -”

“That’s enough for now,” Ibiki snaps, his grip on my arm considerably tighter than it was before, “You can continue in the interrogation room.”

I bite my lip and nod tearfully, but roll my eyes internally. Of course, he is going to be so much more ruthless now he knows I’m a shinobi. But it couldn’t be avoided I guess. Besides, for my plan to work I need to be considered a shinobi in this village. Better get this over with I guess.

`~`

It’s hardly been 24 hours since I left the hideout, and here I am handcuffed for the second time. Except this time, rather than feeling my chakra slowly build as it does during experiments, I can feel my chakra being steadily coaxed out of my body by the metal chains pressed against my wrists and ankles. I suppose Ibiki is taking no chances now he knows I am a shinobi.

The grey monochromatic room is obviously intended to create an unsettling and harsh environment for the one being interrogated. However, I actually feel somewhat at home since I have spent many hours in similar rooms in Orochimaru-sama’s hideouts.

I have to restrain my urge to settle down comfortably, all too aware of the ever-watchful stare of Ibiki. He can’t have any indications that I am anything but terrified to be in this position. I force myself to shift uncomfortably and keep a small tear clinging at the corner of my eye for full effect. I have been specially trained for these situations, and I know what I need to do to get through this interrogation. That is, to play the _victim._

“So…Akiyama Yukiko,” Ibiki begins in a threatening tone, “You are a shinobi from Kirigakure? Why were you found in such close proximity to our village? May I remind you that the Land of Fire and the Land of Water are not allies. You have no business with our village.”

I purposely flinch at his words and begin trembling violently in my seat.

“M-Morino-san, you’ve got it all wrong!” I protest, “I may have used to live there, but my parents defected from the village and took me with them. I am no more a shinobi of Kiragakure than you are.”

The cold glint in Ibiki’s eyes searched my face for any signs of lying.

“I don’t believe you,” he finally says, “If you really left that village with your parents, then where are they? You and your disgusting village are orchestrating an attack on Konoha, aren’t you?”

At his words I begin sobbing pitifully. It is usually beneath me to show such weak emotion, especially in the face of an enemy such as himself. However desperate times call for desperate measures, this act of mine needs to be as convincing as possible.

“I don’t know where they are!” I snivel pathetically, “We have been trailed by Hunter Nins for many years. Kirigakure has unusually high numbers of missing nins, so there is a whole force of shinobi dedicating to bringing back rogues like us.”

Ibiki sits back into his chair and looks at me somewhat thoughtfully.

“To tell you the truth Morino-san, I can’t remember too much of what happened before I woke up in the hospital, I believe I suffered a nasty head wound that affected my memory. However, I do remember taking camp for the night with my parents…and…I remember my mother screaming. There were people in masks with the symbol of Kiri on them. I can remember my father yelling at me to run.”

Ibiki’s stony face cracks slightly, a look of sympathy fluttering through his eyes.

“I don’t know how I got my injuries, or how I ended up at the outskirts of Konoha. I must have just ran until I collapsed. Seeming that my parents haven’t found me yet, I can only assume that they sacrificed themselves for me. They wouldn’t leave me by myself if they were alive,” My small frame begins to wrack with sobs as the lies drip from my tongue. Angling my head downwards so my dark hair covers my tear-streaked cheeks, I lay on the final touches, “…I…I don’t know what to do Morino-san, I don’t have anywhere to go. Kirigakure will be looking for me and I’m not strong enough on my own without my parents to protect me.”

After a long moment of silence, Ibiki stands up suddenly.

“I cannot allow you into our village.” He finally says with a begrudging voice. I immediately snap my head up to look at him, a look of desperation set on my face. Choking on a half-formed cry, I hang my head in defeat.

“Yukiko. Like I said, I cannot allow you into the village….that is, until we get someone from the intelligence division to look you over. If you clear that inspection and your story matches up with your memories, then I would be happy to accompany you to the Hokage so you may work out your living arrangements.”

My eyes twinkle at these words. _Still got it,_ I think slyly, giving myself a high-five in my mind.

“Now now, don’t go thanking me yet,” Ibiki chuckles, obviously misinterpreting the victorious glint in my eye as a look of gratitude. _What an idiot._ “You still need to get the clear from Yamanaka Inoichi,”

Leaving me tied to the interrogation chair, Ibiki leaves the room to find Inoichi. I take this moment to prepare for the interrogation by using my newly bestowed gift from Kabuto.

Although this will be my first time trying out my new technique, the training I undertook in preparation for the experiment will ensure that I am more than capable of performing it successfully on the first try.

I begin to repeat to myself my entire story that I just told to Ibiki. As I do so, I begin painting the non-existent memories into reality within my mind. As far as this Inoichi will be concerned, these memories are as genuine as they come. Not even an expert will be able to discern the difference between them.

After I successfully have a portrait of events in my head, I begin to close off the other areas of my memory with an advanced protective barrier. It wouldn’t do me any good if Inoichi happened to stumble across images of my master lurking in my mind. Finally, I place a weaker barrier over my freshly painted memories as the last phase of my plan.

The sound of the door flying open causes me to open my eyes. My eyes register a flash of long blonde hair before the man (who I assume is Inoichi) strides over to me without any warning and roughly presses his palms against my temples. _Rude,_ I think indignantly, _Could have at least said hi._

But Inoichi’s lack of manners was the least of my problems as I felt his presence force its way into my head, causing me to audibly gasp. My eyes glanced up towards the door where Ibiki was waiting, with a somewhat anxious look on his face. _Perhaps I have grown on him a little?_ I think smugly before refocusing my attention back to the man prodding around inside my head.

As Inoichi detects my barriers, I feel him hesitate. He obviously was not expecting to encounter any resistance from me. Restraining myself from smirking, I can sense him getting caught in my trap. By purposefully making the barrier weaker over the fabricated memories I want him to find, I can create an illusion that he has found the memories of his own accord and not because I intended him to. This will make my false memories seem all the more valid. Additionally, Inoichi will now be expecting the rest of my mind to be protected with barriers of the same level, and therefore will completely bypass the much stronger protection keeping my more problematic memories of Orochimaru-sama safe.

As expected, Inoichi detects and shatters my weaker barrier, causing me to wince slightly. My painted memories start flipping through my vision as Inoichi peruses them. Once he has finished looking through the heart wrenching tale I have spun for myself, I feel him half-heartedly reach out to try and detect any more nearby memories.

Perhaps he is lazy, or perhaps he just feels that he is above searching through a twelve year old girl’s mind, because when no more memories are instantly detectable to him he promptly withdraws his presence.

Inoichi removes his hands from my head and sighs wearily.

“Well?” questions Ibiki impatiently, looking for an indication of what he found in my mind.

“It’s just as she said. Hunter-nins. Everything matches up, she’s good to go.” Inoichi sighs, “Look, I really have to finish up my work back at the main interrogation compound, can I leave now?”

I internally smirk as Inoichi gives me the clear. Oh how stupid he is to underestimate me. Well, atleast his idiocy has enabled me to gain residence in the Leaf. I have no doubt that if he had actually tried, Inoichi would have been able to detect my more advanced barriers.

“Yes, thank you Inoichi. That’s all I needed, you can return to your work now,” Ibiki dismisses the Yamanaka before turning to look back at me with a smile, “As for you, little Yukiko. Come with me, it’s about time you saw the Hokage.”

“Of course, Morino-san!” I giggle shyly, as he releases me from my restraints.

 

_Oh, this is just too easy._

 

 


	3. Influence

A k i y a m a  Y u k i k o

Throughout my life I have had to endure being looked down upon by enemies, or not being taken seriously due to my age and gender. However, I have come to realise that this is not a disadvantage to me, but an opportunity. Orochimaru-sama has, among many things, taught me to treat being underestimated as a tool to benefit from, rather than an insult.

I hadn’t expected to be able to immediately present myself to the Hokage since I knew for certain that there would be precautions taken before I would be able to see him. However, I certainly hadn’t anticipated how _easy_ it would be to get in – especially considering they know I am a shinobi. It’s been only a few hours since I left my hospital bed, and I have already cleared this village’s so called “inspections” and am being escorted to the Hokage’s tower.

 _I guess they think such a small, harmless little girl couldn’t possibly be a threat to the village,_ I conclude bitterly as I stare at the wooden door separating the Hokage from myself. _We’ll see about that._

Ibiki smartly raps on the door, breaking me out of my reverie.

“Come in,” a muffled voice calls out.

Cautiously, I step through the doorway into the circular room after Ibiki. I can already sense the presence of the Hokage within the room, along with the chakra signatures of what appears to multiple anbu. My eyes flicker up, as if drawn by a magnetic force, to meet the eyes of an elderly cloaked man. So this old geezer is the Hokage? Usually I would make some snark comment about how far Konoha has fallen, however, the sheer vastness of the man’s chakra keeps my silence firmly intact.

Promptly, I drop to one knee and respectfully bow my head. I must treat this Hokage as I would treat my master - with absolute reverence – if I am to gain his trust.

“Good afternoon, Ibiki,” the Hokage says pleasantly, “What brings you here?”

“Hokage-sama, I have come to put in a request for temporary residency on behalf of the young shinobi beside me.”

At the word ‘shinobi’ I can feel the Hokage’s eyes narrow sharply and focus on me.

“Shinobi? What are your affiliations, my dear?” He asks, somewhat cautiously.

“I am no longer affiliated to any village, my Lord. My name is Akiyama Yukiko. I was once a shinobi of Kirigakure - however my late parents defected which left me with no ties to any settlement.” I respond quietly.

Ibiki takes this chance to explain his findings during the interrogation – from when the guards found me all the way to Inoichi’s little excursion in my head. While firmly maintaining eye contact with the floor, I spread out my senses in the hope to detect any slight indications of the Hokage’s reaction to my story. Slight vibrations through the air cause my ears to perk slightly, picking up on the Hokage clasping his hands in front of his face and narrowing his eyes as he listens.

A tense silence follows the conclusion of Ibiki’s recount, the only sound being the thud of my slightly increased heart-rate as I wait for my verdict with baited breath.

“Well,” the Hokage finally sighs, “I suppose a temporary residency application is in order. If you are certain she is not dangerous, Ibiki, then there is nothing stopping me from allowing her to stay here. Of course, the absolute safety of the Leaf is of the first and foremost importance – however, we are not a cruel village who would turn away people in our need. We will certainly allow you to take refuge in Konoha for the time being, Akiyama-san.”

“Thank you, Hokage-sama. This is… more than I could have ever asked for. You have no idea how much this means to me.” I gush in apparent earnest, too overcome with ‘gratitude’ to uphold my strict etiquette. Relaxing my face into a more sombre expression, I look up at the Hokage with big eyes.

“Please, Hokage-sama, if there is anything I can do to help Konoha during my stay here then I will do it.” I determinedly say, “I could possibly provide service as a shinobi, however… I must admit to you that I am not very skilled. While I do have an official genin rank, I had very little time to receive any proper instruction in Kirigakure before I was forced to leave. But I will do what I can, if you will permit me to. It’s the least I can do in return for your generosity.”

The Hokage seems to ponder over this offer for a moment, before smiling at me.

“Worry not, Akiyama-san!” He says kindly, “We could certainly use your services, but the lack of training _is_ an issue. Fortunately, the children from our Ninja Academy have recently graduated and been assigned jonin leaders. I am sure I would be able to place you on a team as an extra member for the duration of your stay.”

 _Excellent,_ I think while internally smirking. Everything is slowly falling into place. _Now, if I can just get Kakashi as a jonin leader then-_

“How about we place her on Kurenai’s team? I have a feeling she will get along with Hinata,” the Hokage says to his assistant who is standing nearby.

At this, my eyes widen. I can’t be placed on that team! I need to be with Sasuke or my whole plan will be ruined! Taking a deep breath, I calm myself down. This was well within the limits of what I had prepared for, if I keep my cool then everything will be fine. I guess it’s time to use my _talents_ to change the Hokage’s mind. This part of me, after all, is why my master is so fond of me.

I close my eyes briefly, only to snap them open a second later and gaze at the Hokage. My usually dull, black eyes now have a gold sheen to them - as if light is reflecting from a shimmery core within my pupil. Wasting no time, I immediately enter the Hokage’s mind. My presence in his consciousness is unnoticeable, even for someone of his calibre. _This_ is my talent – to manipulate the very thoughts of even the strongest shinobi without a trace.

Gently, my fingers slowly stroke the strings of reason within the Hokage’s mind. The thrum of his thoughts coaxes me to play his conscience, as one might play the harp. Settling my fingers into place, I naturally let my fingers match the current symphony playing around me, performing to the score perfectly. As some time progresses, I make miniscule tweaks to the sound. These changes are initially hardly noticeable - a stray autumn leaf on a blanketed green oak. Soon, my fingers are dancing along the strings to my own accord, a new concerto flowering from my strokes, turning the foliage amber. The soft flurry of autumn leaves falling around me in great gales slows in response to the decrease in tempo of the symphony as I near the limit to my ability. No matter - the seed has been planted. Besides, I shouldn’t overstay my welcome, lest I faint from chakra exhaustion. Pausing, I take a moment to admire my handwork before slowly exiting the Hokage’s conscience just as the final notes of my melody ring sharp and clean through the air.

As I return to my own mind, the golden gleam disappears and my eyes turn overcast once more – the small ray of light vanishing just as quickly as it had appeared. Although I had spent a good period of time within the Hokage’s mind, in real life not even a few seconds had passed.

I control my breathing, trying to avoid showing any sudden signs of exhaustion. Influencing minds is not all that easy by itself, and even though this was a fairly small idea of his to tweak, the mere fact that the Hokage is at such a high level was what made it the most difficult for me. 

Staring up at the Hokage through hooded eyes, I nervously wait to see if my magic had done the trick.

His eyebrows furrow slightly, as if a thought has just struck him. _Bingo_.

“On second thought, perhaps you would be better with Kakashi. His teaching style would be more suited to your personality, not to mention you would have Naruto on your team as well. I think you would work well with someone of strong character like him. Maybe you can finally get that hyperactive kid to settle down for once!” the Hokage chuckles good-naturedly, “Does that sound okay to you, Akiyama-san?”

My lips curl into a toothy grin.

“It sounds…perfect.”

`~`

After the Hokage’s _inspired_ alteration to my team arrangement, I had been given a small sum of money and the key to a small one person apartment before being unceremoniously booted from the Hokage tower. With no clear instructions on whereabouts my supposed apartment is located, I have been aimlessly wandering the small sidewalks and alleyways of the tiled jungle that is Konohagakure.

After several wrong-turns, dead-ends, and bad directions, I dejectedly sit down at the base of a large tree nearby. It’s at times like these during missions that I feel the sharp ache of homesickness the most. I would give almost anything to be back at the hideout right now. _You are doing this for Orochimaru-sama,_ I remind myself. _You can’t let him down. What use are you if you can’t even fulfil this simple mission?_

I sigh as my mind wanders to my master. Orochimaru-sama is many things. He is a traitor; a rogue; a scientist; an idealist; a genius; a sadist. But most importantly, he is my one precious person. Without Orochimaru-sama, I have no purpose. I would be worthless, nothing but a nobody needed by no-one. That’s why I must fight for him. I must protect my precious person, no matter what the cost.

Filled with newfound energy, I pick myself off the ground. There’s no time to be moping around, not while I have an apartment to find. My eyes zoom in on the closest passer-by I can find.

“Excuse me!” I call out, causing the woman to stop in her tracks and look over at me. “Can I please get some directions?”

 I run up to her and show her the scrap of paper on which my new address has been hastily scrawled.

“Yes, I know where that is,” she says.

“Really?” I ask happily, “Excellent. Where?”

Tilting her head to the side, the woman indicates to the building directly to our left.

“Well, it’s right there, isn’t it?”

I take a closer look at the building and realise that it is indeed the apartment complex I’m looking for. Although to be fair, the building is so overrun with ivy it’s a miracle that anyone can read the signs on it. Sheepishly, I scratch the back of my head and begin to thank her before she cuts me off.

“You’re not from around here, are you?”

_Well obviously not, genius. Why else would I be asking for directions?_

“No,” I politely say, “Thank you very much for helping me.”

Giving the woman a quick bow, I hurriedly make my way to the entrance of the complex. I can feel her suspicious gaze burning into my back, but I expertly ignore her. After all, I’m used to not belonging. For a moment I pause, and my mind wanders back to a time where I had heard similar words before, but I shake it off before I can get too caught up in the past. _Keep pushing forwards._

The derelict exterior appearance of the building did, truthfully, not give me too much hope for what I may find inside. But, I was pleasantly surprised. Although rather plain, it was much more clean and tidy than what I would have expected and I can’t help but feel relieved that I wouldn’t have to live in a dirty hole for the duration of this mission. Admittedly, I have slept in far worse and if it came to it I would not complain. However even the most hardened criminals’ still find joy in the small comforts. Like a working toilet.

I bound up the narrow but sturdy wooden staircase, excited at the prospect of what my new living arrangements would look like.

Room 45, Room 46, Room 47. Ah, _Room 48._

Before I can even contemplate opening the door, the noise of a door slamming shut behind me makes my head whisk around in alarm. My training as a shinobi has made me high-alert and cautious at every sudden movement, so this unexpected sound causes my lightning reflexes to subconsciously direct my body to attack whatever made the noise.

Before the perpetrator can even blink, they find themselves pinned up against the wall with a kunai to the throat. Breaths mingle in the close proximity, almost identical stormy eyes meet - and suddenly I feel as if _I_ am the one whose movement is restricted. Slowly, I release the boy and stare at him with wide eyes as he rubs his neck irritably.

“What the hell was that for?” he asks angrily.

That dark hair. That arrogant demeanour. For a reason beyond me, I just know that if he were to turn around I would find a red and white fan embroidered on his back.

My mouth quirks up into a nasty smirk, showing off my pointed incisors.

_Uchiha Sasuke._

_I found him._


	4. Observation

A k i y a m a  Y u k i k o

Fate really must be smiling down upon me today. THE Uchiha Sasuke is not only on the same team as I am, but he lives in the same apartment complex. Eyes glinting hungrily, I drink in the appearance of the slighty pissed off boy in front of me.

“I said, what the hell was that for?” Sasuke repeats lowly, brows furrowed and a snarl etched onto his face.

At this, I can’t help but chuckle evilly. Stalking closer to Sasuke once more, I teasingly trace the tip of my kunai down his jaw to the hollow of his neck.

“Oh Sasuke-kun, where are your manners?” I softly hiss in his ear.

 Licking my lips in delight, I sneak a glance upwards to see Sasuke staring wide-eyed down at me in terror.

He blinks a few times as if coming back to his senses, before suddenly grabbing my wrist and using his weight to throw me back against the corridor wall. With a sickening thud, the back of my head collides with the plaster, but the grin remains on my face as my head lolls forward. Shakily, I stand back up onto my feet and turn to face Sasuke again. Pretty good throw I must say. The haggard breathing and fear radiating from the boy makes my smirk grow even wider. Cocking my head, I go to take another step forward when Sasuke cuts me off,

“W-Who are you? How do you know my name?” He inquires, trying to fake confidence.

Sasuke’s question throws me off, my whole body freezing up and my face going slack. _You forgot the game plan, you IDIOT,_ I scream at myself in my mind. I was so _excited_ to see the little Uchiha that I completely forgot to keep up my false persona. Tendrils of panic start to creep around my heart, squeezing it tighter and tighter until I can feel it beating so hard it might just burst from my chest.

 _Calm down,_ I think urgently. _You can fix this. You have to fix this. There must be something you can do._

My gaze zooms in on Sasuke’s forehead as I formulate a plan in my mind. It could be risky - I only know how to alter thoughts and memories, I’ve never had to completely eradicate a whole one before. If I’m not careful, I could erase more than just the image of myself within Sasuke’s psyche.

The teasing aura that previously surrounded me immediately morphs into something darker, more predatory, as I get ready to undo my foolish mistake. Sasuke tenses up, preparing to leap back from the obvious shift in atmosphere.

Unfortunately, he is _not fast enough._

Before Sasuke can fully react, my eyes gleam gold and his body freezes. Forcing my way through the gates of Sasuke’s memories, I shiver at the familiar rush of stabbing cold air that accompanies any excursion outside of my own cranium.

With haste, I locate the scroll that contains all of Sasuke’s memories. It’s a good thing my little slip-up has only just happened, so I don’t need to search far back to find what I want. The parchment spills over my lap, beautifully inked Japanese glimmers up at me as if inviting me to dive into it. Cautiously, I read the last entry of the scroll. The fear and confusion Sasuke felt only moments ago reflects upon the fluid surface, projecting his very experiences for me to observe. Tentatively, my hand reaches out to touch the memory, but my movement falters just as my fingertips are mere millimetres away. I grit my teeth and force myself to continue – I _have_ to do this. Although I have never erased memories before, I need to believe in my abilities otherwise this will never work. And it _has_ to work. I can’t have Sasuke suspicious and wary of me right from the get-go, I’ll never get close enough to be able to prod him in the right direction.

My hand slowly glides through the water-like surface of the paper, reaching into its depths. Carefully, I stroke each Japanese character with my forefinger, and sigh with relief as they shimmer and disappear.

However, I have hardly any time to feel self-congratulatory before I notice the rippling waves along the surface of the scroll, caused by my submerged hand. My eyes widen in horror as I watch that with every surge of ripples more of the other memories start to blur. _No!_ I think desperately, wanting to do something but also wary that I might make the situation worse than it already is.

But as I see Sasuke’s memories dissipating before me, every caution I may have had is thrown to the wind. Standing up, I spread-eagle my arms and close my eyes. _Focus. Focus._

Very slowly, I begin to bring my arms together. My body shakes with the strain, as if there is some opposing magnetic force that is trying to stop my arms from touching. However, I push on, and as I manage to close the distance between my hands, I can sense the ripples begin to condense and lose power. They become smaller, less disruptive, until they cease completely as my palms finally touch with a last spurt of strength.

As soon as I have finished, my arms fall to my side and I fall backwards on my behind, absolutely exhausted from the effort that took. Eyes travelling over the parchment, I notice happily that I managed to stop the ripples before too much destruction was done.

That was close. Too close. I probably shouldn’t try to erase any more memories until I do some proper training.

I roll up the scroll in preparation to take my leave from Sasuke’s mind, too fatigued to notice the single kanji character that lies only half erased on the parchment.

The parchment that _should_ be blank.

`~`

Cracking one eyelid open, I groan as light immediately floods through and burns my eyes. Although I am not particularly happy to be awake again, my nap certainly did re-energise me after that taxing experience in the Uchiha’s psyche. I _do not_ want to go through anything like that again anytime soon.

A sudden knocking at my apartment door causes me to bolt upright in my bed. Who on earth could be looking for me? I pad curiously over to the door of my apartment, and try to sense the chakra of the person on the other side of the door. With a start, I realise who it is and immediately open the door for them.

“Hokage-sama?” I say softly, “W-What brings you here?”

“Ah, Yukiko-san!” the cheery voice of the Hokage replies, “I just came to see if you had settled into your new home.”

At this I tilt my head a little, “Yes, it is very comfortable, thank you Sir.”

Why is he really here? Surely he didn’t come all this way for something as trivial as making sure I was settled in?

The Hokage obviously notices the curious and slightly disbelieving expression on my face, causing him to chuckle good-naturedly and incline his head.

“You’re very sharp,” he says with a smile “This was indeed not the only reason I have come to visit you. Your new team is currently gathering, and I thought perhaps I would escort you to meet them.”

So that’s it. Quite strange that the Hokage himself is personally escorting me…but then I suppose if I was one of the five Kage, I would jump on any excuse to escape my stuffy office.

“Thank you Hokage-sama, that is most thoughtful of you. If you would allow me a few minutes to get ready, I will be with you shortly,” I say while bowing respectfully.

Pausing only to ascertain that the Hokage has smiled his consent, I immediately rush into my bedroom and look in the mirror. Sweatdropping, I look at the tangled mess that is my bed-hair. I may not care all too much for appearances, but I do still have my pride and this just won’t cut it for me. Hurriedly, I pull a comb through the dark brown locks and re-tie the two loose buns that I wear at the sides of my head. Flicking the rest of my hair over my shoulder, I flatten down my fringe and smooth out my clothes.

I re-enter the living room, hopping on my right foot while pulling my black ninja boots over my left.

“I’m ready, Sir.” I say, in-between bounces, to which the Hokage chuckles.

“Let us be going then, Yukiko.”

I nod briefly before flashing out the door in the Hokage’s wake.

`~`

As the journey towards the place where I will finally meet my new “team” comes to an end, I can’t help but feel grateful for the Hokage’s assistance. There is absolutely no way I would have been able to navigate my way through the maze of alleyways and side roads that seem to make up Konoha. I usually have a pretty good sense of direction, but I feel that even the best navigator would get lost in this tiled jungle if they weren’t born and bred here.

The Hokage’s fast pace abruptly slows, nearly causing me to crash into the back of him.

“Do be careful there, young one,” he says kindly, smiling at the embarrassed pink tinge to my cheeks.

“Forgive me, Hokage-sama” I bow apologetically.

The wrinkled man looks away from my face and towards a clearing that lies just beyond a border of trees and shrubberies.

“Your team is over there, would you like me to accompany you?”

Shaking my head, I restrain myself from rolling my eyes. No thanks, _Dad_. Sheesh.

“I will be quite alright, thank you My Lord. You must be very busy, I am sorry for taking up your time.”

With a small smile, the Hokage flickers and disappears, leaving me alone to face the three new pains in my neck that I will have to endure. Wonderful.

Taking a deep sigh, I turn to make my way into the clearing. However, I stop in my tracks when I see that there is a spar in action. _Hm, this could be interesting, 3 against 1 huh?_ Instead of making my presence known like I had originally intended to do, I instead opt to settle down on a tree branch and watch from the shadows. I am _very_ interested to see the skill level of my favourite little Uchiha.

I watch as a blonde boy – or should I say _idiot_ – continuously charges at the grey-haired man without any forethought, trying and failing to grab one of the little silver bells attached to the man’s hip. I cannot say I am surprised at the thorough beating the blonde is getting, although that large amount of chakra he is exuding _is_ certainly curious. I would almost think that this is the jinchuuriki friend of Sasuke’s, but there is no way that brat could possibly be the host of a being as mighty as the Kyuubi. There’s just no way.

Quickly losing any interest I may have had in the Bumbling Idiot, I instead focus my attention to the tall figure slouched over his novel. As my gaze follows the bounce of his grey hair I can’t help but sweatdrop. _Just what is it with these old guys and their grey hair??_ I cry exasperatedly in my mind, thinking of Kabuto. Although the man (who I assume is Kakashi) is evading constant attacks from every direction, he seems quite unconcerned about it all and more engrossed in whatever he is reading. I wonder what could be so interesting abou-

Wait….was that a _giggle_ I heard come from his mouth _?!_

My eyes immediately narrow, zooming in on the cover to see the large Restricted 18 warning proudly plastered for the world to see. _Ugh! My new “sensei” is old AND a pervert. Just great._

I suddenly get drawn back to reality as I see the blonde kid leap for the base of my tree triumphantly. _No way…he didn’t sense me did he??_

Suddenly, he is hoisted up into the air from one ankle by a length of rope. Spotting the glinting bell on the ground below him, I struggle to contain my cruel laughter at his sheer stupidity. I can’t believe he fell for such an obvious trick. _Well, I won’t be the one to help him down at any rate._ Standing up, I decide to relocate to a different tree, mainly due to the fact that I’m not willing to risk staying in such a close proximity to him. You never know - his foolishness could be contagious.

`~`

After hours of hiding away and watching with rapidly decreasing interest at what couldn’t really be considered a spar, but more a MURDER of any self-confidence these brats had, a timer finally goes off - signalling my freedom from my prison of boredom. The only remotely exciting thing that happened these past hours was Sasuke’s near victory against Kakashi. He was just a hairs breadth away from getting a bell.

That Uchiha is certainly a head and shoulders above the other two. All the blonde could do was get himself stuck in traps and the pink-haired girl was only good for fainting from a single weak genjutsu.

Peering around the foliage from my elevated seat, I take stock of the new situation at hand. The scene I am confronted with is peculiar, but not entirely unexpected. The annoying one has somehow gotten himself tied to a pole (what’s new there) and is quite unhappy about it if his yelling is anything to go by. The other two brats sit either side of him and look quite glum as Kakashi gives them a stern talking to. Craning my body around further, I try to get a better view of the scene, when all of a sudden Kakashi disappears from his position in a puff of smoke.

 _Where did he go?_ I wonder, looking around curiously.

Suddenly, I am enveloped in smoke as someone appears right next to me in my tree. Yelling in fright, I fall off my branch - only managing to save myself at the last second by collecting chakra in my feet and sticking to the underside of the bough like a cat.

Angrily, I look up to see who it is caught me off guard like that, only to be shocked when I am confronted with a mop of grey hair and a masked face staring back at me.

We both hold our positions for several seconds, both too surprised to say or do anything otherwise.

Kakashi seems to recover first, his face relaxing into a closed eye smile (or atleast I _think_ it’s a smile) as he raises two fingers up in the air in a casual wave.

“Yo.”


	5. Introductions

A k i y a m a  Y u k i k o

**“Yo,”**

Snapping out of my reverie, my eyes widen as I fully appreciate the compromised position I am in. This is _not_ good at all. I abruptly cut off the flow of chakra that keeps my feet connected to the bark, and begin to plummet downwards from the tree.

 _You really are making a right mess of things aren’t you,_ I think grimly as I fall, _First you screw up in front of Sasuke, and now Kakashi._

I sigh as the ground rapidly approaches. Although I could prevent my collision, perhaps it would be better to take the hit. At least this way, Kakashi might lose some suspicious of the level of my abilities.

Closing my eyes, I brace myself for impact when a sudden warmth embraces me. After several seconds of confusion, I slowly realise that I am no longer falling but am being held in a pair of arms. _Someone…saved me?_

A gentle jolt as the person lands on the ground incites me to crack an eye open and ascertain who exactly it is that is holding me.

As his face comes into focus, I can’t help but deadpan. A concerned eye peeks down at me, lips curved down under his mask. Immediately putting a hand on his green flak jacket, I use Kakashi’s chest to launch myself out of his arms and slide away from him. Dust clouds billow up as my feet fight to create some friction, one hand lightly skimming the ground to balance myself. My head snaps up, and our eyes meet once more. While Kakashi’s expression is more one of bewilderment, mine is wary.

“Why did you catch me,” I call out, almost accusatorily.

Kakashi blinks at my narrowed eyes, before standing slowly and dusting himself off.

“You were going to get hurt,” he says calmly, fixing me with a calculating look. “Why were you spying on my team? I could sense your chakra from over here the whole time, is there something you need help with?”

At this, I allow my cheeks to flush crimson as I rigidly straighten up from my crouched position.

“I uh- I don’t know if Hokage-sama told you, but I’m a t-temporary addition to Team 7,” I begin, looking down and fiddling absentmindedly with the hem of my red shorts, “I was going to come out and introduce myself, b-but it never seemed like the right moment and I ended up just watching,”

An involuntary chill runs down my spine as Kakashi’s hard stare bores into me.

“I am very sorry for causing you any discomfort,” I whisper as I bow slightly.

Kakashi exhales deeply, causing me to tilt my head up to look at him.

“Yeah, whatever,” he says boredly, beckoning for me to follow him, “The Hokage did say something about a new member. You can introduce yourself in a minute, let me just wrap up this exercise with the rest of my team.”

Faint cries of protest can be heard from within clearing, causing Kakashi and I to peer around the trunk of the tree we were previously in. My eyes focus in on the blonde kid, watching as he tries to reject the food Sasuke and the pink-haired girl are offering to him. At first I thought there was no way he could be the jinchuuriki, but there’s no mistaking that chakra reserve. I can’t help but think he was a stupid candidate for something as powerful as the Nine Tails though. Luckily for me, that would probably make his extraction much easier if my master decided to get in on some of that tailed beast action. Taking a quick glance at Kakashi, I see him stroking his chin thoughtfully as he watches his team. _I wonder what the moral of this exercise is, none of this seems to have any clear purpose to me._

“It’s teamwork,” Kakashi speaks up, obviously aware of what I must be thinking, “Those three have no idea what it means to be a team. In order to pass this test, they must all work together.”

Teamwork? I blink, thoroughly perplexed.

Such a word is foreign to someone like me. My whole life, it’s only been myself - there was no one else I could rely on.  Although Orochimaru-sama made me strong, I know that ultimately if I fail him, he would not hesitate to get rid of me. Not only that, but I can’t rely on my master to help me with my missions, for then I would be burdening him unnecessarily.  It is my purpose to _serve_ my master, and if I am unable to complete my missions on my own, then I am not worthy to be Orochimaru-sama’s underling.

Turning my attention back to the trio, I barely have time to register that Naruto seems to have finally accepted the bento before Kakashi darts forward, pulling me along behind him.

In a cloud of smoke, Kakashi and I appear before the brats. Lightning crackles ominously through the rapidly darkening skies. I quickly step behind Kakashi, using his body to hide myself. I don’t really want to be involved in this just yet – it looks extremely bothersome. Three small gulps from the other side of Kakashi cause me to smirk, as the trio shrink away from the absolutely withering look their sensei is giving them.

“You three broke the rule. Are you prepared for the punishment?” he growls, eyes glinting dangerously, “Any last words?”

I can’t help but smirk as I hear the blubber excuses about how ‘the three of them are one’ and other sappy nonsense. It’s pathetic really. _But,_ I think while eyeing the back of Kakashi’s head, _He seems to be eating it up._

“The three of you are one?” Kakashi repeats, leaning forward and changing his expression into a closed-eye smile, “Well then…..You pass!”

An outbreak of confusion and shouting commences, causing me to sweatdrop. If they have this much energy they should really use it train instead of wasting it on nonsense like this.

Kakashi begins to explain the reason of his exercise, so I promptly decide to zone out. I really cannot be bothered to listen through all that drivel. Instead, I elect to sneak a look at Sasuke through the gap between Kakashi’s arm and waist. _Soon you will be mine,_ I smirk, sizing up his dark irises. The mere thought of those onyx pools staining into the crimson Sharingan makes me giddy with excitement.

Suddenly, Sasuke’s eyes flicker over and meet with mine. Squealing slightly, I immediately dart out of sight back behind Kakashi.

“Huh?” the Jinchuuriki says, peering around Kakashi, “Who’s she?”

I scowl as my only source of cover steps aside and leaves me open for all to see. _Traitor,_ I think, giving Kakashi a scornful look.

He merely smiles and gestures to me.

“I know this is sudden and you three have only just gotten to know each other, but the Hokage has requested that an additional member be placed on Team 7 temporarily.”

The trio turn from Kakashi to stare at me, all three expressing different reactions. The Bumbling Idiot looks excited while the pink-haired girl has a territorial expression on her face as she inches slightly closer to Sasuke. And Sasuke… well, he just looks slightly confused and distant. Hopefully, my adaptations to his memory hold and he doesn’t recall anything about me. Despite that, the somewhat thoughtful expression on his face is putting me on edge.

My thoughts are interrupted by a loud and obnoxious voice.

“I’m Uzumaki Naruto, ‘tebayo!” the Jinchuuriki grins at me. “Nice to meet ya!”

The girl to the left of Naruto takes a step forward and flicks her long hair over her shoulder.

“Haruno Sakura,” she sniffs, eyeing me distastefully. “It’s a pleasure,”

I flick my eyes over to Sasuke, waiting for him to introduce himself to me. Closing his eyes, he sighs tiredly and stuffs his hands in his pockets.

“Uchiha Sasuke,” he says grumpily.

I let a small smile grace my lips as I fidget slightly in my spot.

“And I am Hatake Kakashi,” the grey-haired man says from off to the side, “I will be your sensei during your stay in the leaf village.”

 _Time to introduce myself now_ , I think dully.

“Uh-Uhm. Nice to meet you all,” I bow deeply “My name is Akiyama Yukiko. I am originally from Kirigakure, but I don’t live there anymore due to certain circumstances regarding my safety. I h-hope we can all be good friends,”

“Kirigakure? WOW!” Naruto yells excitedly, “What’s it like there? Where is your family? Do you know lots of cool water jutsu?”

“Uh…” I pause uncomfortably, giving Kakashi a pleading look.

Thankfully he catches onto my appeal, and steps forward.

“Alright, Naruto. That’s enough for now. Yukiko has travelled a long way and doesn’t need all your questions right now. We will have our first mission as a team tomorrow morning, you are all dismissed.”

Kakashi flickers, then disappears, leaving me with three ravenously curious genin. Sakura immediately rounds on me.

“My, aren’t you just _adorable_ ,” she says somewhat threateningly, touching the two buns on either side of my head. “Are all girls in Kirigakure this cute?”

I keep my mouth firmly shut, carefully stepping away from her.

“Listen here,” she growls lowly, grabbing my shoulder and pulling me closer, “Don’t you even think about trying to get it on with Sasuke. He is _mine_. As long as you stay away from him, I’m sure we will be able to get along. Alright?”

I try not to roll my eyes at Sakura’s feeble attempt to threaten me. However, for the benefit of my character I suppose I should at least try to act scared.

“Of course, Haruno-san. You don’t have to worry about me, I’m not interested in your boyfriend. Your relationship is quite safe.”

I watch as Sakura’s cheeks heat up.

“Boyfriend?” She laughs, “I see you’re onto it, Yukiko!”

Slinging an arm around my shoulder, she continues to giggle dreamily. Silently, I manage to extract myself from her grip without her noticing and take a cautious step away from her. This is why I hate girls.

“Sakura-chaaaaan!” Naruto calls out obliviously as he runs up to her, “Wanna go on a date after this? I know this great ramen place and – OW!”

While Sakura beats the living daylights out Naruto, I take this opportunity to slide in next to Sasuke. I am rapidly coming to the conclusion that perhaps the Uchiha is the only sane one on this team. As I make eye contact with him, it appears he has come to the same conclusion as I have, because he nods understandingly before we both swiftly exit the scene.

Once we are a safe distance away, we slow our pace to a walk. Sweatdropping, I look back in the direction we came from.

“Are they always like that?” I ask Sasuke fearfully.

He closes his eyes with resignation, a look of deep pain etched on his face.

“Oh no,” I sigh, understanding his answer without him having to say anything.

The rest of our walk is in a comfortable silence. Truthfully,  I can’t remember the way back to our apartment complex so I am just subtly trying to follow Sasuke so I don’t get lost.

After several more minutes, I feel Sasuke start to glance at me in confusion.

“Are you…uh….following me?” he asks suspiciously.

I snap my head up to look at him.

“NO!” I cry, causing a few passerbys to turn around and look at me. My cheeks immediately flush and I look around uncomfortably, “I-I mean, I’m not following you. I, uh, live in the same direction.”

Sasuke gives me a hard look, before continuing to wander down the street. Quietly, I trail behind him silently cussing at myself. The closer we get to our apartment complex, the more agitated I can feel Sasuke becoming and the more I cuss at myself for creating this awkward situation.

The cracks that have been building up in Sasuke’s patience finally show as we begin to climb up the staircase that will take us to the level our respective apartments are on. Whirling around, he visibly seethes with anger.

“STOP FOLLOWING ME!”

I shrink backwards at his outburst and start trembling weakly. Pushing past his larger frame, I run up the rest of the stairs and down the corridor to my apartment. Fumbling with my keys, I glance over my shoulder to see Sasuke watching me as he reaches the top of the staircase. His eyes widen with shock as he notices the tears dripping down my face. Giving me a worried look, he opens his mouth to say something, but before he has the chance to I push into my apartment and close the door sharply behind me.

Leaning against the back of the door, my fake tears immediately dry as a smirk breaks out over my face. _Let’s see how long it takes before Sasuke comes crawling back to apologise, shall we?_

`~`

**S e v e r a l  H o u r s  L a t e r**

My cross-legged position on the floor is beginning to get slightly uncomfortable. My back aches from staying so rigidly straight, and my ankles protest from being pressed against the wooden floor for such a long period of time. Despite this, I remain stock-still and refocus my energy into clearing my mind. As my conscience fades to white and my mind falls back into its soft lull, a sharp knock at the door jolts me into alertness. Angry that my meditation has been interrupted, I stomp over the door to see who it is. A quick-look in the peephole immediately transforms my dark, menacing aura into a soft, pink glow.

I open the door and look up at my slightly awkward visitor.

“S-Sasuke,” I acknowledge timidly.

He stays silent, looking at me guiltily.

“Did you, uh, w-want something?”

“Can I come in?” he asks while scratching the back of his head like he isn’t quite sure why he is even here.

Several moments later, Sasuke and I are kneeling by a small table as I quietly pour tea in two cups.

His eyes follow the movement of my hands, before picking up his cup and taking a small sip.

“Thank you,” he says robotically.

An awkward silence ensues as I drink from my cup and wait for him to begin apologising. That is, after all, why I assume he is here.

Sasuke abruptly places his cup down on the table and faces me.

“Look, I’m – I’m sorry about earlier.” He says uncomfortably. _The little Uchiha must not be used to apologising to people,_ I think smugly as I watch him writhe uneasily.

“It’s ok –” I begin in a small voice before being cut off.

“No it isn’t. I shouldn’t have assumed you were following me…. Or made you cry.”

I look up at Sasuke, shocked. I had expected a hasty apology, but not anything more than that, so his seemingly more earnest regret makes me somewhat surprised.

“Thank you for your apology…” I start to say, smiling at him. He stares at me for a while, before his lips begin to quirk into a smile of their own.

“…Sasuke-kun,” I finish, licking my lips purely out of habit.

All of a sudden, Sasuke stiffens, any premonition of a smile from him immediately shatters as he follows the trail of my tongue with his eyes. A look of horror passes across his face, which immediately turns into anger. Before I am fully aware of what is going on, Sasuke has knocked me to the ground and presses a kunai to my throat.

“I…I know you,” he spits hatefully in my face, “You did something to me. Something…. Why can’t I remember what you did?”

The kunai cuts into my skin, causing beads of crimson blood to string themselves around my throat.

“I can remember you laughing at me, you – you licked your lips.” His hard eyes lock onto mine.

“WHY ARE YOU PUTTING ON THIS ACT?” Sasuke bellows, absolutely livid.

 

“ _WHO ARE YOU_?”


	6. The Truth

U c h i h a  S a s u k e

Staring apprehensively at the metal 48 that’s nailed on the wooden door in front of me, I wonder for the hundredth time what the hell I am doing. This sort of thing is most definitely not my style, it has been years since I’ve properly apologised to someone. _That’s right, I’m Uchiha Sasuke! Why on earth do I feel like I have to apologise to her? I don’t have to apologise to anyone!_

I am about to turn away when Yukiko suddenly flickers through my mind once more. Eyebrows furrowing, I remember the look on her face before she ran into her apartment. The fat tears rolling down her cheeks from her big watery brown eyes. Sighing, I run my hands through my hair before hesitantly reaching out to knock on the door.

A scuffling noise can be heard from the other side before everything goes quiet. After several more seconds of silence I can’t help but begin to wish I had never come in the first place.

_This is stupid, I should just-_

The door slowly creaks open, cutting off any thoughts I may have had about running for it.

One eye peaks up at me, before the door opens further to reveal the rest of Yukiko.

“S-Sasuke,” she says in a small, trembling voice, “Did you, uh, w-want something?”

Steeling my breath, I manage to grit out “Can I come in?”

As Yukiko steps aside to allow me to enter the threshold, I go through what I wanted to say to her a few more times in my head. I had prepared a hasty apology earlier, nothing special. I just feel kind of bad for assuming the worst of her. But I mean… there’s no need to go overboard. It’s not like I actually care whether she hates me or not. Right.

Beginning to pour some tea for us, I watch Yukiko’s slender hand as I try to find the right moment to begin apologising. _Why is this so much harder than it should be?_

_Oh, just get on with it you baka._

I take a deep breath, and open my mouth to start reciting the apology I had decided on, when all of a sudden Yukiko lifts her head up and our eyes meet. Immediately, every premeditated word I had prepared suddenly disappears and my voice begins to speak of its own accord.

“Look, I’m – I’m sorry about earlier.”

My words are met with a startled response from the girl in front of me.

“It’s ok –“

I give her a guilty look before cutting her off, “No, it isn’t. I shouldn’t have assumed you were following me… Or made you cry,”

 _What the hell am I saying?_ I begin cursing at myself in my head – so much for the stony, emotionless Uchiha. _Maybe I should just leave._

I go to get up from the table, when I make the mistake of glancing at Yukiko’s face first.

She’s…smiling?

Against my will, my own lips begin to curve into a small grin at the sight of her face lighting up.

“Thank you for your apology….Sasuke-kun,”

Her pink tongue slips out and slowly traces the outline of her lips. I watch, somewhat entranced before my vision suddenly cracks and shatters like glass. I am swallowed in a black pit of confusion, left with only one thought. _This has happened before._

What’s happening? Why do I feel so much anger…and fear? Desperately, I try to reach out for any recollection of why I am feeling such a strong sense of deja vu. A sudden flash of an out of focus memory flickers across my vision, causing me to stiffen involuntarily. There’s no doubt about it. That’s definitely Yukiko I can remember, but…there’s something so _different_ about her. The image of Yukiko begins to blur and flicker, but I can still make out the cruel smirk that unfurls across her face. My head suddenly aches, as if I kunai has been plunged directly between my eyes. With one last spurt of strength, I manage to hold onto the image long enough to watch as Yukiko’s tongue trails across her lips as it did only seconds ago and she mouths my name - “Sasuke-kun,”

 _No,_ I think frantically, _what happened? When was this? I need to know!_ But the harder I try to hold onto the threads of my memory, the more it unravels, until I am left with nothing but incoherent words and broken laughter echoing in my ears.

Although I don’t understand what just happened, I know one thing for sure. The sweet little act Yukiko has been putting on is fake.

Snapping my head up, I trap Yukiko in my fiery gaze. My hand travels to my kunai pouch, skilfully taking out a weapon as I leap towards the imposter.  


Pinning Yukiko down, I press the kunai against her throat and shake her roughly. I can feel myself becoming wild and erratic, for some reason this strange fear is driving me over the edge.

“WHY ARE YOU PUTTING ON THIS ACT?” I scream in her blank face, cutting the kunai deeper into her skin.

“WHO ARE YOU?”

`~`

A k i y a m a  Y u k i k o

I guess the game is up, huh? That’s just too bad. And it was going _so_ well too.

It’s strange though, I could have sworn that I removed all the characters from Sasuke’s memory. Oh well. It was probably only a matter of time anyway.

Staring blankly up at Sasuke, I take note that the hand holding the kunai is violently shaking and his chest his heaving up and down as he struggles to control his breathing. _Scared, are we?_

“Oh, please,” I sigh, grabbing his hand with my own and pushing him off me, “Be careful where you point that thing, you’ll poke your own eye out.”

His hand clenches over his kunai and he immediately draws himself up into a defensive position.

“Who are you?” he repeats.

Rolling my eyes, I place one hand on my hip.

“I’ve already told you. I’m Yukiko. Just because I’m not acting all cute anymore doesn’t mean I’m not the same person. Seriously Sasuke, I thought you were smarter than that.”

Sasuke seems to falter.

“Well then…why are you here? What do you want with the village?”

“Just sit down,” I say, gesturing to the seat he leapt up from. “I’ll explain everything if you calm yourself for a hot second.”

Sasuke narrows his eyes at me, still glaring at me distrustfully. After a few seconds he slowly slides into his seat, eyes never leaving my face. I take a seat next to him with a relaxed posture. Pouring myself a cup of tea, I sip it quietly, sending Sasuke a wink.

“Hmm,” I say, placing my cup back on the table and tapping my chin thoughtfully, “Don’t misunderstand Sasuke, I’m not here to burn down your precious village. There are people after me, so I’m staying here for the time being. I’m a refugee, why would I bite the hand that feeds me?”

“But you attacked me…” he spits back, “Sounds a lot like biting the hand to me.”

Sighing, I let myself sink into my chair.

“That’s because you attacked me first, ya dick.”

Sasuke stares at me.

“What?? I seriously doubt that. And why can’t I remember anything? What did you mean when you said there are people after you?”

“It’s all related. I haven’t told you about my kekkei genkai yet have I? Well, my clan in kirigakure has a very, very unique ablity.”

I smirk a little when I see Sasuke lean forwards slightly, clearly interested.

“We are special you see, because we don’t stay in people’s memories.” The lie slips off my tongue easily.

“People forget us. We embody stealth. It’s a little sad, because it means we can never be important to anyone, we can never have any close friends outside our own clan. I tried to break that when I was younger, there was someone who I used to call a friend. But it was one-sided. If I didn’t see her for a few days then she would forget everything about me and we’d have to start from scratch.” I look down in my cup sadly, my index finger absent-mindedly tracing the rim of cup.

“It’s sad,” I repeat, “But it made us excellent assassins. We could be anywhere, be anyone, kill anyone. And no one would remember us. No witnesses, no mistakes. My clan is the secret weapon of Kirigakure. When my parents defected and took me with them, we were hunted down. They wanted to drag us back forcibly, but my parents fought! They died so I would never have to go back that horrible place! That’s why….even though I will mean nothing to everyone I meet here once I’m gone, I need to stay here. For my parents.”

I realise I’m breathing heavily and glance up to look at Sasuke. I am taken aback when I see a light pink tinge brushed across his cheeks. Man, that entire thing I just spieled off was utter bullcrap…like…absolutely none of that was true… but I didn’t realise Sasuke would be so affected by it.

“Sasuke?” I whisper, reaching out to touch his hand. He jumps back, knocking his chair over.

“I’ve... uh... got to go,” He stammers, inching backwards.

I give Sasuke a kind smile.

“That’s fine. But Sasuke?”  I walk over to him and put a hand on his shoulder. “You know you can talk to me about anything now right? Everyone, including you, will forget about me one day so the least I can do is help you while I _am_ still in your life.”

I giggle at the even look Sasuke shoots me, shrugging off my hand.

“Bye,” he mutters as he walks over to the door. “See you tomorrow….Yukiko.”

 _See you tomorrow, Sasuke-kun,_ I think as I stare at the back of the wooden door Sasuke has just exited from. _Tomorrow._

`~`

“Sasuke here at Point B”

“Sakura here at Point C”

“Y-Yukiko here at Point D”

“…”

“Naruto here. I’m at Point A, dattebayo!”

“You’re late, Naruto.” Kakashi’s voice reprimands through the earpiece. I roll my eyes, what did he honestly expect from that idiot?

A sharp command from Kakashi, snaps me back to attention.

“The target has moved, follow it!”

Letting out a deep sigh, I follow the others half-heartedly as they chase after the brown cat that is so desperately trying to escape from us. Although I know that while I’m here I must go along with every mission my new team is given, it doesn’t stop me from being bored at the lack of excitement and danger. This is an enormous step down from the missions I usually undertake for Orochimaru-sama, and I can’t help but feel that my assassination skills are going to waste by searching for mere _pet cats._ I’m not even fond of cats anyway, so I am quite content to let the Jinchuuriki take the reins on this one.

Staying quiet, I eye the cat as it viciously attacks Naruto’s face with its sharp claws. _This is an experienced feline,_ I think grimly, _obviously this is not its first escape attempt._

“Target apprehended.” Sasuke informs Kakashi.

I walk over to the Uchiha as Sakura and Naruto wrestle with Tora.

“Nice work,” I compliment, causing Sasuke to roll his eyes.

“Yeah, right,” he says monotonously, “Even a 5 year old could do this,”

“It’s okay, I’m sure Naruto will have a thing or two to say about the difficulty of our missions. His constant whining could get even the Hokage to change his mind. Anything to shut that idiot up.” I grin at Sasuke, “Let’s go then!”

`~`

 _That idiot is too easy to predict sometimes,_ I think while watching Naruto argue with the Hokage. His constant yapping and whining is nearly sending me to my breaking point. _Oh how I would love to just wrap my hands around his neck and SHUT HIM UP ONCE AND FOR ALL._

Despite my violent desires, I keep a tight rein on my behaviour. If there’s one thing that annoys me more than Naruto, it’s being sent on missions that I could complete in my sleep. Lucky for Naruto, he is the lesser of the two evils and my only weapon to get a higher ranked mission… so he can live. For now.

Keeping an eye on the Hokage, it appears I’m not the only one getting tired of the constant stream of complaints issuing from Naruto’s mouth.

“Okay, fine.” the old man finally gives in. “If you insist, I’ll have you do a C Rank mission. You’ll be bodyguards for someone.”

_Now that’s more like it._

“REALLY?” Naruto yells, “Who is it, who is it? A princess? A Feudal Lord?”

I have to hold myself back from face-palming for the fiftieth time since I entered the Hokage’s office. _Yes OF COURSE, Naruto. The Hokage is going to immediately upgrade you from finding cats to being a bodyguard of a Feudal Lord. This kid, I swear…_

“Don’t get too hasty,” The Hokage chuckles, “I’ll introduce you now.”

Looking towards the door to the office, the Hokage calls for the person to come inside. All of us watch with piqued curiosity as to who it is we will be protecting. The door opens slowly, allowing us all to catch a whiff of the stench of alcohol entering the room.

“What’s this? It’s just a bunch of darned squirts!” a gravelly voice mocks from the doorway. I wrinkle my nose as the man gulps down some more alcohol from the bottle in his hand.

“Particularly you, the smallest one with the idiot face – are you really a ninja?”

Naruto starts laughing obnoxiously, “Who’s the smallest one with the idiot face he’s talking about?”

All of us slide closer to measure ourselves up against each other. I slump when I realise that I am the shortest of them all.

“Yukiko-chan!” Naruto yells with glee, pointing at me.

“Oh shut up. You’re the only one with an idiot face around here, clearly he’s talking about you. Tch.” Sasuke comes to my defence. I smile at Sasuke in thanks, grinning wider when I see him avoiding eye contact and his ears turning pink. Naruto blinks for a few seconds, processing what Sasuke says before rolling up his sleeves and charging for our client.

“I’LL KILL HIM,” he screams. Kakashi holds onto the back of his orange jumpsuit with an expression that just tells us all that he isn’t getting paid enough for this.

“What good will it do to kill the man you’re supposed to be protecting, you moron?” our sensei says tiredly.

Naruto’s yelling fades into background noise as I look at our client with new appreciation. Maybe he isn’t so bad if he can insult the Jinchuuriki all the time. At least it will provide good entertainment for me.

The drunk clears his throat and puffs out his chest importantly, catching all our attention.

“I’m Tazuna, veteran bridge-builder. You’ll be risking your life and limb in guarding me until I return to my land and complete my bridge. Nice to meet you.”

_Why do I get the feeling this is going to be a lot more troublesome than it should be?_

**Author's Note:**

> hello homedawgs bonjour 
> 
> this is the first book i ever done wrote  
> so,,,it pretty bad therefore im open for any tips you might have or any constructive criticism you could give me. help make me a better writer guys
> 
> also unfortunately i am not masashi kishimoto so none of those nardoodle characters belong to me, only my little lady yukiko
> 
> i originally posted this story to wattpad, so if you want to read ahead in the story i have more chapters on there, but i wasnt satisfied with my work and one of my friends @sand_ninja suggested i edit the story and repost to here, where the cooler kids reside. I will eventually post all the chapters i have written (like 15 so far) they just need some tweaking before im ready to post them yet
> 
> anyway yes thats it from me thanks for clicking on this story i hope the first chapter was enough to pique ur interest, me and yukiko will see u very soon :)))


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